You gave me a promise!
by AstralDragonslayerEphraim
Summary: The Second arc takes place 3 years after the death of the Astral Dragonslayer Joseph's best friend Seliena, and it follows the adventures of himself, Hisui and a strange girl, all leading up to one final showdown. Will the mysteries of the forgotten tome finally be unlocked?
1. Chapter 1-Awoken Anew

_**Arc Two**_

 **You Gave Me A Promise!**

Chapter One- Awoken Anew

The summer sun was slowly sinking below the horizon line, basking the world around me in a pumpkin glow. My friend Leila was lying beside me, smiling as she watched the clouds drift away. Leila had never seen a sunset before last week because she had lived in solitude where nobody had dared to go: The forsaken village of Esina. Esina was supposedly the home of a dangerous Storm Sorceress, but all I found was a lonely child who was shunned by the world.

After saving her from the man known as Zhan, Leila was vague and wanted nothing to do with me, but I got through to her after we fought together to fend off Zan, who came back again for revenge. Strangely enough, he left without much of a fight, giving me a semi-friendly goodbye. It made me feel strange, to say the least. He could easily have killed Leila and ran, but he stopped trying after she broke down into tears, which only made me want to help her.

I would help Leila become strong enough to protect herself.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, jolting me back to my senses. Her hair was jagged, like the edge of a dagger, and it sliced the air whenever wind blew by.

"I'm thinking about how much you've grown in such a small amount of time." I smiled, crumbling up a few green leaves from the shrub beside us. We were near the city of Crocus, which is the Capital of Fiore, and the guards that protected the city were often out in the wild, tending to the plants and wildlife.

"You really mean it?" she gasped, covering her mouth with her hands, which was a shame because Leila had such a beautiful smile.

"Yes, of course. I might be young, but I'll always be honest to you Lei."

It was only natural that she was so mistrusting, because she had lived such a horrible childhood. People thought her evil and dangerous, and so, she became an outcast, unwanted by the world. Even now she still thinks herself worthless. Not if I have anything to do about it, though.

"Thank you, Shoto."

Shoto? So she had listened to my entire conversation with Zhan after all? Then why did she come with me? Leila would have known full well the dangers of retaliating against the dark guilds, and how strong their members really were.

I held my hand out towards her and upon taking it; Leila gave me a big shrug.

"You aren't planning on leaving me behind, right?"

"Ha-ha, very funny." I laughed sarcastically, letting go of her hand so I could stand up. Leaving her behind would have made my journey easier, without a doubt. For some reason, though, I felt that she was too important to leave in the good hands of the council. Leila needed real world experience; she needed to see how beautiful life really was. I could show her that AND teach her how to fight, something the council couldn't do.

"Why does the sky turn a different color when the sun goes down?"

After asking that question, she got to her feet and clutched her left arm with her right hand.

"Good question!" I grinned, opening a fake science book. "You see, it all has to do with-"

"Noooooo, not again!" Leila groaned, which only made me continue my tangent.

Because we didn't have the luxury of a normal human life, I had to teach her myself, which often meant that I had to listen to groans of complaint that she exaggerated remarkably well.

"So now you understand that it's because of the atmosphere and the light rays, right?" I finished, taking in a deep breath of cool air as I threw the pretend book into a pond and imitated a splashing sound.

"Heehee..." Leila laughed, covering her mouth again as I pretended to fish for it. "I-I guess," she offered, but the way she said it indicated that she was hesitant on asking for help, or that there was something she didn't understand. "It's just-what exactly is the atmosphere?"

"Good god, now I DO have to go fishing for the book."

"Ha-ha, Joseph."

"The atmosphere is the layer of gases in the sky that protect us all from dying a fiery death." I smiled, tilting my head to the side. Of course, that wasn't the whole definition, but I put it in terms that she would be sure to understand.

"I see. Thank you. Maaaaybe tomorrow you could teach me about the lacrima inside of you?"

Ah. She was referring not to my Dragonslayer lacrima, but to the other one.

It's something that my father granted me shortly before passing away.

"I could, but wouldn't you rather learn about something that matters? Maybe, I don't know, math or some new words to use?" I sighed, looking past her head and towards the great sky. In all reality I just didn't want to talk about my father, or my mother. Their deaths were still fresh in my mind, like a scar seared into my flesh.

"I see. Let's talk about where we're going next, if that's alright?" She murmured, sighing as she pulled her dress below her knees. I had bought her a ton of clothes when we originally arrived at the city, because I couldn't stand to see such a sweet and caring person being dressed in something old and musty.

"Of course," I smiled, giving her the thumbs up. "We'll be heading west next Monday, towards Iron Reaper's Base of Operations. The council informed me that they were the ones responsible for the mass killing of those innocent humans at Waterway's bridge." Honestly, just thinking about all those innocents killed made me sick and angry, ready to enact revenge.

Among the humans killed was my friend Eric, who was there on a mission.

"They killed people? Why?" Leila muttered, running her hand through her hair as she sadly gazed at the now blood red sky.

"Does there even need to be a reason? People kill JUST to kill." Snapping angrily at her, I shook my head and quickly regretted it "Sorry." Biting my lips, I managed another small smile.

"Joseph, what's wrong?" Leila walked in front of me and placed her hands on my shoulders, giving me a steady gaze.

"My friend was killed there. He was the only one who understood my past, and now he's gone. Nothing can bring him back, and I-I just-"

"I'm sorry." She whispered, bringing her lips to my ears. "It's okay to be sad, you know."

"No." I replied, inching myself away from her. "I'm not sad, I'm angry. Nobody has the right to take another's life!"

I took a deep breath and calmed myself down. Maybe revenge wasn't the best option. I couldn't become a hypocrite, which would make me just like them all. If Leila ever found out the truth about this world, it would break her. I had to lead her into a future that welcomed her with open arms, NOT one filled with violence, death, sadness and tears.

It was going to be hard, though. People were just so full of hatred for anything that seemed to need help. People even gave her a hard time at the damn store because of the way she looked, and even though I was right there beside her, it still happened.

Looking over my shoulder, Leila seemed to be gazing towards the city. Tonight was going to be rough. I could already tell from looking at her that she needed a shower, and she desperately needed a good hearty meal. Whatever she was eating before definitely kept her alive and somewhat healthy, but Leila desperately needed some muscle.

"Can you take me back home please? I-I don't think people want me here." She cried, quickly running towards me and hiding herself behind my back.

"Relax." I smiled, sniffing the air. "It's just the guards coming to check on me."

I walked towards the lone guard while Leila stood motionless by the large bush.

"Lord Ephrai-I mean, Joseph! How were your travels?"

"My friend, you must be more careful." I whispered, breathing a sigh of relief because Leila hadn't heard his slip-up.

"Lord Joe. You have my apologies, sire. Who's she?" The guard asked, eyeing Leila like she was an average girl, and not some outsider. Thank god I had personally trained the city guards not to judge; otherwise he would have accidentally made Leila cry or something.

"She's-uh, a new friend. Ever heard of the storm sorceress, Hector?" I asked, fully knowing that he knew who the sorceress was. Everybody in this city knew, except maybe the few shut-in's.

"W-what?! No way!" I laughed as Hector crept up to her, studying her as she looked at him oddly.

I had that gut feeling though, as if she didn't like him being that close.

"Her name is Leila. Uh, Hector, could you go tell the princess that I've returned? No doubt she's been waiting expectantly for my arrival; or my home cooked meals. Either way, she'll want to know I'm back."

I watched in amusement as Hector ran off into the distance, towards the castle where I had first met-

"Joseph, can I go to bed now? I'm tired." And with that, Leila collapsed onto the ground. I had run her silly today, and I guess she just now finally ran out of energy.

The sun had finally disappeared from view, and the sky was pitch black. City lights turned on around us, but it was still dark. For a long time now, these lights had been weak, nothing more than a laughable excuse for ornate decorations. They were pretty useless, but they did make the city look much better in terms of appealing visitors. When I was 11, I had actually managed to send a whole row of these lights crashing down. I still remember the look on-

No, I told myself, shaking my head as I picked up Leila and carried her in the direction of my house. Thinking of her wouldn't help the girl who was now my responsibility to take care of; to protect from danger.

As much as I wanted to believe that I had found her by chance, I knew it wasn't true. I hadn't found Leila by some invisible force; Zhan had led me to her, almost like he was trying to tell me something. And as much as I believed in and trusted fate, I also hated it for what it was; inevitability.

This time would be different, I told myself, climbing up the stairs to my front door, where a silver bow wreath was hanging.

I wasn't going to lose another one to some unknown and unseen force. Not on my life, not if I could help it. "Seliena-" I breathed, reaching for my keys. The night had just begun, along with another long and difficult journey. Except this time, it would have a happy ending.

Even if my death was the end result, I would make it happen.

 ** _(Author notes)_**

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 ** _Next chapter in progress!_**


	2. Chapter 2- Secrets

Chapter Two- Fear

The sun had gone down, and the world's once bright sky was drowned in a thick layer of darkness. Joseph's house was big, warm and welcoming. The door to enter it was made out of solid oak, which he had painted an angel white color. A Zen lamp hung above the door, and it seemed brighter than any of the city's lights. Therefore, I wasn't surprised to see a couple of Nakagame moths fluttering around: enticed by and drawn to the bright light. He set me down and unlocked the door and after pulling it open, Joseph gestured for me to enter first, but I refused. It could have been a trick or trap, and it wouldn't have been the first time somebody has tried doing something of the sort to me.

Walking in behind him I closed my eyes after he flipped on the light switch, but after a few seconds I reopened them and, seeing everything, almost fell to my knees. Just how rich was this guy?! His living room had three couches which were cobalt blue in color, and they seemed to go well with the gray walls. A wooden table with a glass center was positioned in-between the couches. Numerous kanji carpets were laid out upon the hardwood floors (which looked freshly polished), and although I couldn't understand what they meant, I really wanted to learn.

Turning to the opposite side of the room something caught my eye. Walking away from the door, I stopped to stare at a large rectangular painting situated between two cross shaped windows, both of which halfway covered by short blue curtains. Looking closer, the painting was of a girl with long purple hair which curled around her thighs, and a guy who looked exactly like joseph standing beside her. He was holding what looked like a book.

"Who is she?" I asked, stepping closer to the painting so I could study its incredible detail. But then my stomach started churning, and I slowly backed away.

"A reminder," Joe said, walking into a separate room. I had to follow him; I couldn't help myself.

"Yeah, of course she's a reminder if you have a picture of her hanging up on your wall. But what's her name?" I questioned, following him into the room, which had to be the kitchen he was talking about earlier at the store.

A fire erupted from a machine that he turned a knob on, and I jumped back in sheer surprise. "W-what's that?!" I yelled, slowly backing away.

He seemed to smile, like it was funny. But I wasn't laughing.

"It's a stove. It warms up food and cooks it using fire and heat."

"Oh. Well-what's that?" I frowned, pointing towards a large metallic machine which was taller than I was and had two handles.

"The left side is a freezer, and you put things in so they stay or become frozen. The right side is a fridge, and you put things in to keep or make them become cold."

Walking over to the fridge, I pushed on it. Nothing happened. Joe whispered "Pull" to me, and I understood, nodding my head. Pulling open the left side, a thin layer of cold air leapt out at me and I jumped back in surprise. I felt Joe put his hand on my shoulders, like he was reassuring me, and then he grabbed my wrists and led my hand to the inside of the freezer.

"See?" He smiled, letting go of my hands as he backed away. "It's okay to be scared, but never let it stop you from doing anything."

Following his words of wisdom, I walked around the kitchen hesitantly trying out all of the new things. He pulled me away from the stove after I tried sticking my hands inside, though. Apparently I would have burnt myself because it was 'pre-heating'"

Whatever that meant, I knew not. My stomach growled, and I turned to look at him.

"Joe, I'm hungry." I muttered, looking away quickly.

"Dinner will be made for you, don't worry. Go look around until you find the bathroom, and get a shower, alright?" He nodded his head, turning towards the stove. I left the kitchen excited, because there was so much more to explore. There was a hallway a few feet to the right after the kitchen doorway, and multiple pictures of the same girl with the long purple hair adorned the walls. "Who is she?" I thought to myself, stepping over a strange looking cat that was asleep on a small red rug. Two doors were on my right, and one was on my left. Trying the left, the doorknob wouldn't even twist and I eventually came to the realization that it was locked from the inside, so I tried one of the doors on the right which had a window beside it. The view was gorgeous. This city really was beautiful, even at night. I backed away telling myself that I was unworthy of such a view, and opened the door and walked into a big room with a blue carpet which had a large bay window on the opposite side with red colored curtains that had olive stripes that covered the window except the center. Against the wall to my left was a very large bed with a base made out of cherry wood. I would remember that forever because of the small cherry etched into the side of the base that faced the window. Blue linen sheets blanketed the mattress, and they looked warm. Hanging above me was a white chandelier with bulbs that seemed to be a purple color, although the light itself was off. The room was brightened only by a lamp on top of a nightstand which stood against the wall on the side of the bed that faced the door. The whole room was peculiar, reminding me of my old room in some way, but it didn't make sense why. My old room was musty and decrepit, and Joe's was-well, not. There was a closet to my right, and I slowly approached it. Pulling it open, I saw countless dresses hanging on a metal pole, and a weird looking hairpin on the shelf situated above said pole.

I slowly reached for the hairpin, but my arm couldn't reach the shelf; I was too short.

"Leila, please leave that stuff alone." I heard his voice, and quickly closed the door, turning around shortly after only to see him leaning against his bedroom door.

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do. You're NOT my father!" I retorted, but inside I felt sick to my stomach. The dresses and hairpin had to belong to the purple haired girl, but he didn't seem to want to talk about her. Where was she, anyways?

"Yeah, you're right; I'm not your father." He sighed, holding out his hand. Closing the closet, I reluctantly brushed past him. Not needing some stranger to baby me like I was some child, I left the room.

"Leila, I'm not here to be your parent! I'm here to help you." Joe explained, catching up to me as I opened up another door, which led into a second bedroom. This one was NOTHING like the first, in terms of being clean or even livable. This room was dark and depressing, like it had been neglected. Thick cobwebs stretched from one wall to another and multiple floorboards were loose. The once yellow wallpaper was peeled in random locations, and the window was chipped and boarded up from the outside. Even the bed was broken. I felt a chill run from the top of my neck all the way down to my thighs. It was as if I had just entered the room of somebody long gone.

"Joseph, what-"

"You'll have to sleep in my room for now, I'm sorry." He mumbled, shooing me out before slamming and locking the door. "Follow me and I'll show you to the bathroom."


End file.
